Robot vs Dinosaur

There's a new theatre company in New York that I'm thrilled to be associated with. They are called Robot vs. Dinosaur. I love the name. It conjures up fond memories of Saturday afternoons watching monster movies on television. The excitement I had as a kid watching Godzilla rip it up in Tokyo is the kind of excitement I want to recreate in theater. As their rep in Chi-town, I'm starting a writer's group modeled after their NY writer's group. Here's the official announcement...

ROBOT VS DINOSAUR ROBOWRITERS IS COMING!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: JOE JANES
e-mail: RvDChicago@comcast.net
web: www.robotvsdinosaur.com
www.uptownwritersspace.com


Robot vs. Dinosaur - Chicago is forming a writer’s group called RoboWriters that will meet weekly on Thursday evenings from 6pm – 8pm at the Uptown Writer’s Space, 4802 North Broadway (near the Lawrence Redline stop), suite 200, starting May 10, 2007. Writers may drop in any time between 6pm and 8pm, but are encouraged to be there the whole time. The first ten writers are guaranteed a reading of their work and feedback. Space is limited to fifteen. There is a $5 fee.

RoboWriters provides an UNSAFE environment for writers to get constructive, honest feedback. It’s sort of a class and sort of an on-going workshop. The primary focus of RoboWriters is comedy writing for the stage, such as sketches, ten-minute plays, or scenes from longer works. Writers are also given the option of receiving an assignment to inspire and challenge them and to accomplish specific writing objectives.

Very simply, we are looking for writers who intend to improve their writing. That is ALL. The goals of this writing group are: 1) To create a forum for writers to receive constructive criticism. 2) To encourage the maintenance of a regular, hopefully rigorous writing schedule. All participants are expected to meet with new goals for each session. All participants are expected to bring enough copies of their work (one copy per character, plus one). All participants are expected to participate in the readings.

RoboWriters-Chicago is conducted by Joe Janes, a playwright, a professor at Columbia College in the theater department and a writing instructor for The Second City Training Center. He is a co-founder of The WNEP Theatre Foundation, an Emmy winner, and has been a contributing writer for SNL’s Weekend Update and Jellyvision’s You Don’t Know Jack.

Robot vs Dinosaur is a New York-based theater company that created the RoboWriters writing group format. The goal of Robot vs. Dinosaur is to bring an ancient art form (theater) into the modern age. We want our posters to hang in college kids’ dorm rooms 50 years after RENT has failed in Branson, MO.